The K&A Waterways Partnership wants your views on its draft plan for improving the K&A waterways over the next decade. Unfortunately it only wants your views if you can comment by 20th December. CRT issued a press release on 27th November to this effect, giving less than one month for people to send in their comments about the plan. CRT claims to follow the Government Code of Practice on Consultations, which recommends at least 12 weeks for any consultation, and longer if it takes place over a holiday period.
To read the draft plan go to
http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/noticeboards/kennet-and-avon-waterways
To submit your views email enquiries.kennetavon@canalrivertrust.org.uk
If the short timescale of this consultation has prevented you from giving your views, you can complain to CRT using the above email address. See also
http://kanda.boatingcommunity.org.uk/using-the-bw-complaints-process/
Below is the text of the Press Release issued by CRT on 27th November:
People’s views needed on plan for future of Kennet & Avon Waterways
Community groups, schools, and local businesses have all been urged to play their part in ensuring a bright future for the historic Kennet & Avon Canal and Bridgewater & Taunton Canal, after a draft plan for improving the waterways over the next decade was launched this month.
It has been produced by the Canal & River Trust’s Kennet & Avon Waterways Partnership, a group of volunteers who represent people and businesses that use and enjoy the region’s waterways.
The prospectus looks at how the waterways can contribute to all areas of day-to-day life throughout Berkshire, Wiltshire and Somerset, including attracting jobs and tourism, promoting healthy lifestyles and increasing education opportunities for local schools.
The Partnership now wants to hear what people think about the future of the waterways and is encouraging them to attend an annual public meeting on Thursday, 5 December at Donnington Grove Country Club, Newbury (RG14 2LA). Partnership members, staff and the Trust’s chief executive, Richard Parry, and trustee Jane Cotton, will be attending.
Proposals include:
Getting more people to help maintain the waterways, for example through youth projects, volunteering and adoption schemes
Promoting the waterways as places that can benefit people’s health, by improving links between key destinations, as well as canoe and cycling trails
Supporting tourism by working with partners to unlock the heritage potential of key sites and ensuring the waterways play an active part in major community events
Support huge popularity of boating in this region by continued investment in maintenance, as well as supporting restoration of adjacent waterways such as the Wilts & Berks Canal
Tamsin Phipps, chair of the Trust’s Kennet & Avon Waterways Partnership, said; “The Bridgewater & Taunton Canal and Kennet & Avon Canal – including the River Avon in the west and River Kennet to the east – are among the most popular anywhere in the country, and home to some truly beautiful locations. They offer something for everyone, whether you are a boater, canoeist, wildlife lover, heritage enthusiast, a walker or cyclist.
“The waterways have huge potential to improve even more and in the future we want them to be right at the heart of the communities they run through. This means working together with local people and organisations wherever we can. Our prospectus sets out how we think we should do this and we now want to hear want people think of our ideas, so that together we can come up with a plan for how to develop the waterways over the next decade.”
The prospectus can be found at http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/noticeboards/kennet-and-avon-waterways
People are encouraged to give their views by 20 December by emailing enquiries.kennetavon@canalrivertrust.org.uk
ENDS
Notes to editors:
For more media information please contact Joe Coggins on 020 3204 4410 joe.coggins@canalrivertrust.org.uk
The Canal & River Trust is the guardian of 2,000 miles of historic waterways across England and Wales. We are among the largest charities in the UK, maintaining the nation’s third largest collection of Listed structures, as well as museums, archives, navigations and hundreds of important wildlife sites.